Electric conduit



(No Model.)

R. L.-HARRIS.

ELECTRIC (JONDUIT.

No. 358,609. Patented Mar. 1, 1887.

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ROBERT L. HARRIS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC CONDU IT.

EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,609, dated March 1,1887.. A: plication filed November 23, 1586. Serial No. 219,560. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT L. HARRIS, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in ElectricConduits, of which the following is a specification.

In Letters Patent No. 344,962, granted to me July 6, 1886, a trunk orconduit is shown containing the electric conductors with which apendant-arm is in contact.

I find it important to construct these conduits in such a manner as togive easy access for repairs or additions to the conductors,and so thatthe conduitfirmlyresist-s the compress ing action of the pavement and offrost, in order that the opening or slot at the top of the conduit mayremain uniform, and so that the pavement may not be disturbed inobtaining access to the conductors. I make useof two covering bars uponsupports that form a trough that is buried beneath the pavement, thecovering-bars coinciding with the surface of the pavement, or nearly so,so that access is given to the conductors within the conduit by removingone of the covering-bars, and the conduit is adapted to the reception ofelectric conductors for the motor upon the ear, and also for thereception of telegraph, telephone, or electric-light wires, if desired.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a erosssection of my improved conduit. Fig.2 is a longitudinal view, partially in section, illustrating myimprovement. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan at the line a; as, Fig. 2; andFig. i is a crosssection of a modification.

The portion of my conduit which is buried is composed of a base, 0, ofsuitable strength, having diverging longitudinal plates or sup ports V,which I term the may" or supports, and a second set of supports A, whichI term the minor supports. These major and minor supports crossing eachother form X-shaped longitudinal sides to the conduit, and upon the topedges of these supports A V are the coveringbars D E, the edges of whichare preferably formed with downwardly-projeeting flanges, inclinedtoward each other, so as to set over and hook upon the top edges of thesupports A V, and these covering-bars are secured in place by wedges3,0r by any other suitable device, such as clamping screws. Thesecovering-bars may be used as tramways,

or one of such bars may be thickened to form a railway-rail, as shown bydotted lines at 10, and the flanges of the wheels may run, if desired,in the groove between the two coveringbars D E, and the bar or arm thatforms the conductor from the stationary conductors Rte the motor on thecar will pass down through the slot between the coveringbars, as shownby dotted lines at 11. These conductors R are preferably of copper orphosphor-bronze, and connected to the bars J of the minor supports, andinsulated in any suitable manner; or such conductor or conductors may beattached upon the cross-bar T between the major supports V.

It is preferable to make the conduit having the base 0, and the majorand minor supports in sections of suitable length, and these may be ofcastiron or other suitable material, and they are not set closelytogether at the ends, so that they are free to expand, but fillingplates\V,of sheet metal or other suitable material,lie against the outersurfaces of the conduit, and said sections and plates may be surroundedby concrete on the bottom and sides, as at K, or the concrete alone maybe used. Suitable connections to a sewer or drain-pipe are to be made,and these are preferably taken away between one section and the next, asat Q, so as to prevent the accumulation of water in the conduit; or theconnection to the sewer may be at one side, as shown by dot-ted lines inFig. 1.

It will be apparent that there are four chain bers, G H L M, in theX-shaped sides of the conduit. Oneormoreofthesemayreceivetelephoneelectriclight, or other wires or pneumatic tubes, and to facilitate theinsertion of the wires into the chambers G II openings or handh0les areprovided at P, through which the conductors maybe passed, and these arepreferably covered by plates N. The floor or supports 0 sustain theconductors within the chambers G H, and allow space for the escape ofany water that may accumulate in the bot tom of said chambers.

It will be apparent that either covering-bar D or E may be lifted offwithout disturbing the other covering-bar, so that access is given tothe interior of the conduit for repairing the conductors or introducingor removin con.-

ductors.

In cases where the pavement only comes to one side of the conduit theopposite side of the conduit may be dispensed with,if the conductors arenot to be inclosed. This may be used where required with railways wherethe conduit is at one side of the track.

I do not limit myself'to the material out of which the conduit is made,or to the manner of supporting the electric conductors.

When desired,the major supports V may be made as solid plates cast orformed with the base O,without the openings P and diverging, asaforesaid, and to aid in supporting these there may be external ribs orbrace-bars as the bottom portions of the minor supports A, as shown bydotted lines 12.

In cases where it is desired to have the bar E narrow, said bar may restdirectly upon the minor support, said support being in the form of aplate,with diagonal anchors S,if required, passing off into theconcrete,as shown in Fig.4.

I claim as my invention 1. A conduit for electric conductors, composedof plates forming the major and minor supports, crossing each other, andthe baseplate for such supports formed in one or permanently connectedtogether, in combination with the cov ering-bars resting upon the upperedges of the major and minor supports, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a conduit for electric conductors,of the majorsupports V,the minor supports A, crossing each other in X form, thecovering-bars resting upon the top edges of the major and minorsupports, and insulated electric conductors R, connected with the minorsupports, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a conduit for electric conductors, of twoX-shaped supports, abase connecting the same, covering-bars secured uponthe upper edges of the X-shaped supports, electric conductors within theconduit,

and longitudinal chambers for the reception ROBERT L. HARRIS.

Witnesses:

GEO. '1. PINOKNEY, WILLIAM G. Mom.

